WP wary of Lions' boot
WP will be wary of a Lions side who are looking for an improved performance against the log leaders following their loss to the Bulls.
Speaking from the Cape side's High Performance Centre, backline coach Robbie Fleck said the Lions will be a different outfit from the side they beat 27-14 at Newlands.
"Having a proper flyhalf makes them more dangerous. They never kicked the ball enough against us at Newlands, so we are expecting them to employ more of a tactical kicking game this time," he said.
The Lions have had a tough time retaining a regular flyhalf after injuries to Marnitz Boshoff and Jaco van der Walt. Nicolaas Hannekom filled the position the last time these teams clashed at Newlands but the experiment flopped.
The role was then handed to Andries Coetzee against the EP Kings before returning to fullback, which paved the way for van der Walt's return against the Bulls at Loftus.
Despite the concern regarding the change of gameplan of their opponents, Fleck was happy with the progress of his back three after the trio showed they can handle the pressure of a kicking game against the Bulls.
"Ackerman made it clear they never kicked enough [against us]. Our back three handled the challenge well against the Bulls and they will continue to improve," he added.
The match is set to be a tough encounter as the prospect of a kicking battle ensues while the counter attacking ability of WP's backline could punish any error made by the Lions.
"We will continue with the mindset of punishing any kicking mistakes and we will keep hurting any opposition who either coughs up possession or kicks poorly," he stated.
The Cape side is sweating over the fitness of fullback Cheslin Kolbe who will be tested on Thursday to see if he has shrugged off his knee niggle to take his place in the starting XV.
Province will be heading to Ellis Park knowing their track record in Johannesburg is not the greatest.
"The Lions are a good side at home and will be a better side than they were at Newlands. They will definitely be up for it after the loss to the Bulls. Our track record at Ellis Park isn't the greatest," he said.
WP has made light work of the matches they've played thus far and will hope to continue that run of form in what is sure to be the biggest match of the weekend.
"The match against the Bulls was our first true test of character and the biggest challenge we had so far but the upcoming game is going to be no different. It's a going to be a good test to see how far we have come before we reach the end of the competition," he stated.
By Tauriq Ebrahim
